What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Most of the food we eat is

broken down into sugar which causes our organ called the “pancreas” to release insulin. Insulin is a substance produced

naturally and is needed to help move sugar from the blood into other parts of the body, like your legs, to help you walk.

Insulin is the key to letting sugar into your body.

If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use insulin. When there isn’t enough insulin

or cells stop responding to insulin, too much sugar stays in your blood which causes damage to your body. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as vision loss, heart disease, and kidney disease. Initially, none of these health problems may have symptoms.

Types of Diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant).

o Type 1 Diabetes: Thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself) that stops your body from making insulin. Approximately 5-10% of the people who have diabetes have type 1. It’s usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults. For type 1 diabetes, patients need to take insulin every day.

o Type 2 Diabetes: The body doesn’t use insulin well and can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels. About 90-95% of people with diabetes have type 2. It develops over many years and is usually diagnosed in adults. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, eating healthy food, and being active.

o Gestational Diabetes: Develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. If a patient has gestational

diabetes, the baby could be at higher risk for health problems.

Gestational diabetes usually goes away after your baby is born but increases your risk for type 2 diabetes later

in life. The baby is more likely to have obesity as a child or teen and more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later

in life.